Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Münstermann appointed to the newly created professorship for integrity of materials and structures

On 1 April 2016 Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Münstermann was appointed to the newly created professorship for integrity of materials and structures. It is the third professorship at the Steel Institute IEHK. There have not been three professorships at IEHK since 1989. 

The new group of IEHK works especially on the descriptions of strain hardeing and failure mechanisms on different length scales. It is the objective to improve the limit state analysis of mechanically stressed components by using continuum damage mechanics approaches. Moreover, the development of conceptions to numerically assess the component´s lifetime, the multiaxial component testing under variable load as well as the microstructure based characterization of damage evolutions and damage tolerances of modern material concepts are further focal points. The new professorship strives for an intensive link between the description of microscopic material behavior and macroscopic component behavior. To that end, it is necessary to collaborate with construction engineers and mechanical engineers at RWTH Aachen University. These research activities offer innovation potential for infrastructure and energy conversion equipment. Thus crucial issues of modern times are addressed.

Before joining RWTH Aachen University, Professor Münstermann worked at the Institute for Energy- and Climate Research at Forschungszentrum Jülich. He did his scientific work in the group of materials mechanics of energy materials. With his civil engineering study background and his doctorate in the area of materials technology Professor Münstermann has created special requirements to work in the interface between materials technology and component design.